Dominic “Mike” Torre, 92, of Sebastian, passed away on Jan. 2, 2015, peacefully and surrounded by his wife and their daughters.
He is survived by his wife Pat; children Joseph Torre (Elsa), Rosemary Torre, Maria Reid (Marc), Michael Torre (Lisa) and Therese Dean (Steven); grandchildren Allison, Matthew, Dominic, Sean, David, Mary-Kathryn, Andrew, Therese, Emily and Ben; and great-grandchildren Michael, Mayela and James.
Torre was born in Dundas, Ontario, Canada on Oct. 29, 1922. He graduated from McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) in 1945 and set out on a long and successful journey that neither poverty, sickness, nor prejudice could hinder.
He married Patricia J. Schoenau on Sept. 29, 1951, and together they had five children, who they raised in the Roman Catholic faith and in the belief that education was the key to success. All five are university graduates and their 10 grandchildren have all followed in their footsteps.
Multilingual and ever curious, Torre began his long career in mining machinery at Joy Manufacturing in Galt, Ontario, Canada in 1951. It was the beginning of a long and successful career that spanned the globe, and made him a well-respected expert in his field. For more than 20 years, he was Vice- President of Long Airdox (Oak Hill, W.Va.) and was responsible for the very successful global expansion of the company’s coal mining machinery business.
Retiring to Florida, Torre was able to devote his tremendous energy to his many hobbies including golf, gardening, reading, church and sports of all types. Never one to rest on his laurels, well past the age of 70, he learned how to use the computer, so that he could email and write the family history.
His drive, enthusiasm, knowledge and sincerity made him a well-loved father, grandfather, uncle, great-grandfather and friend. He will be sorely missed.
A Catholic Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015, at 11 a.m. at St. Sebastian Catholic Church in Sebastian. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mike’s memory to VNA & Hospice Foundation for hospice services: 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960. An online guestbook may be signed at www.seawindsfh.com.